The BG rugby club concluded its Big Ten competition Saturday with a 64-12 win over the Michigan State Spartans.

One of the Falcons’ strengths this season has been the ability to score moments after the opening kickoff. Michigan native hooker, Mike Brown, stunned the Spartans with a try at the start of the game in front of a large crowd.

“My friends and family were all there, as well as my high school coaches, so you always want to put on a show for them,” Brown said.

Brown always seems to have big games when the Falcons play Michigan teams, but he wasn’t the only standout of the day for BG.

Wing Sam Polzin recorded two tries, including a 50-yard run up the sideline to widen the gap 19-0 in the first half. Scrum half Mike Powell had eight conversions on the afternoon with four in each half.

While the game was winding down, a Spartan alum walked up to former BG head coach Roger Mazzarella and introduced himself.

“He told me how once they had been beating the Falcons at halftime,” Mazzarella said. “They eventually lost the game, but he related how proud they had been to have just been in the lead for once.”

It was the high point of their whole season, according to the former Michigan State player. Even though BG has played a Big Ten schedule this season, the Falcons have had a target on their backs due to the recent success against Big Ten programs.

The game was an exclamation point on the Falcons’ roster depth. Vice captain and kicker Dane Szente was off on National Guard duty, flanker Frank Viancourt was taking a test, wing Nolan Cavano is nursing a pulled hamstring and wing Ryan Koenig should come off a shoulder injury next week, yet the Falcons managed to win.

Their absences resulted in considerable playing time for prop Adam Bialecki, flankers Cyrus Sharif and Rick Suda, wing Terrence Kidd and center Derec Blodgett.

The Falcons will travel to Cleveland to take on a senior men’s team in Eastern Suburbs RFC and Cleveland State next Saturday.